Janitors given support

Service Employees International Union march around Fashion Island to raise awareness for upcoming contract negotiations.

April 05, 2012

Janitors and their families with the United Service Workers… (SCOTT SMELTZER,…)

About 500 unionized janitors and other service industry workers marched a loop around Fashion Island on Thursday afternoon to lend their support to ongoing negotiations for better wages and benefits, said a spokeswoman.

The upscale shopping center was targeted for the Service Employees International Union demonstration because the property manager, the Irvine Co., employs about 350 janitors represented by the group, said Marisol Rivera, vice president of the Orange County SEIU chapter.

The deadline for the negotiations between SEIU and 10 different state and nationwide janitorial companies is April 27, Rivera said.

After that point, the union would consider striking if a compromise was not met, she said.